Virtual Reality for Symptom Management in Patients Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Quality Improvement Initiative.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of virtual reality (VR) on symptom distress, such as depression, anxiety, and pain, experienced by individuals receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. SAMPLE & SETTING: 20 participants aged 19-70 years (median age of 56.5 years) who were hospitalized in an academic setting received as many as two sessions of VR per week for two weeks. METHODS & VARIABLES: Before and after each session, participants completed the revised Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS-r) to evaluate their symptoms. Paired t tests were later conducted. RESULTS: VR sessions showed significant improvement in 8 of the 10 symptoms addressed in ESAS-r. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: VR can improve symptoms in patients following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in a hospital setting, provide a low-cost intervention to treat symptoms, and support future investigations exploring how VR affects prolonged hospitalizations related to distressing symptoms.

Effect of care programme based on Comfort Theory on reducing parental anxiety in the paediatric day surgery: Randomised controlled trial.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to determine the effect of a care programme based on the Comfort Theory on reducing parental anxiety forming during the perioperative process of paediatric day surgery. BACKGROUND: According to the Comfort Theory, nurses provide comfort and take precautions related to comfort, and they provide care and assistance by encouraging individuals/families/society and supporting coping methods. This study is the first randomised controlled study to test the effect of a nursing care programme based on the Comfort Theory for paediatric day surgery. DESIGN: Randomised controlled trial. METHODS: The research was completed from June-September 2019 with participation of parents whose children were undergoing paediatric day surgery at a hospital in the Mediterranean region of Turkey. A total of 120 participants were randomly assigned to two equal groups. The intervention group received care programme based on Comfort Theory. The control group received nursing care routinely provided in the clinic. Data were collected using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Measures were obtained at six points, at baseline, at four interval observations after the initial point and during follow-up on the 10th postoperative day. The repeated measures ANOVA test and t-test for independent samples were used to compare the anxiety levels between the intervention and control groups. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in favour of the group receiving the care programme based on the Comfort Theory when the anxiety levels between the intervention and control groups were compared. CONCLUSIONS: The care programme based on the Comfort Theory was effective in reducing parental anxiety forming in the perioperative process of paediatric day surgery. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The results of this study show the applicability of the care programme for paediatric day surgery. It is recommended that this programme be introduced to nurses in paediatric day surgery.

Suggesting a Practical Theory to Oncology Nurses: Case Report of a Child in Discomfort.

PURPOSE: Children with cancer are faced with many challenges related to their disease that disturbs their comfort. The aim of this study was to apply Kolcaba's comfort theory for a child with cancer. DESIGN: A case study design was used. METHODS: We applied Kolcaba's comfort theory for a young boy with cancer who was sad and in discomfort because of intravenous access procedures. Following Kolcaba's taxonomy of needs for comfort in the spiritual and mental level, we designed a new intervention. FINDINGS: Kolcaba's comfort theory is an appropriate approach which not only helps to assess and evaluate comfort holistically but also assists in performing innovative interventions to provide comfort for children with cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Kolcaba's comfort theory is a practical theory for oncology nurses. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Nursing theories can improve the quality of clinical care.

A Comparison of Aromatherapy to Standard Care for Relief of PONV and PDNV in Ambulatory Surgical Patients.

PURPOSE: To determine effectiveness of aromatherapy (AT) compared with standard care (SC) for postoperative and postdischarge nausea and vomiting (PONV/PDNV) in ambulatory surgical patients. DESIGN: Prospective randomized study. METHODS: Patients (n = 254) received either SC or AT for PONV and interviewed for effectiveness of PDNV. Machine learning methods (eight algorithms) were used to evaluate. FINDING: Of patients (64 of 221) that experienced PONV, 52% were in the AT group and 48% in the SC group. The majority were satisfied with treatment (timely, P = .60; effectiveness, P = .86). Of patients that experienced PDNV, treatment was 100% effective in the AT group and 67% in the SC group. The cforest algorithm was used to develop a model for predicting PONV with literature-based risk factors (0.69 area under the curve). CONCLUSIONS: AT is an effective way to manage PONV/PDNV. Gender and age were the most important predictors of PONV.

End-of-life care in the neonatal intensive care unit: applying comfort theory.

The provision of quality end-of-life care is essential when a neonate is dying. End-of-life care delivered in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) must consider the needs of both the newborn and their family. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how comfort theory and its associated taxonomic structure can be used as a conceptual framework for nurses and midwives providing end-of-life care to neonates and their families. Comfort theory and its taxonomic structure are presented and issues related to end-of-life care in the NICU are highlighted. A case study is used to illustrate the application of comfort theory and issues related to implementation are discussed. The delivery of end-of-life care in the NICU can be improved through the application of comfort.